Norwood Grill: Comfort food for breakfast, lunch & dinner

Posted
Thursday, December 27, 2012 1:00 pm

Don Fowler

While most known for its fabulous breakfasts, the Norwood Grill has recently become a popular respite for great comfort food at lunch and dinnertime. Drive by on a Saturday or Sunday morning and you will see a line of folks waiting patiently for a table.

Located in a small strip mall at 1325 Post Road in Warwick, the restaurant shares an outer entrance with the BUSA liquor store. While it doesn’t look like much from the outside, when you walk through their door you are magically in a cozy setting with Christmas decorations and welcoming staff. You immediately understand their logo: Family Friendly and Attentive.

Norwood Grill is a true family operation. Mom and Dad Xynellix are there helping with the operation while son John is cooking. They have been at that location for about three years, having previously run PJP’s on Airport Road and Town Chef in West Warwick.

“My brother Peter found this location and was heavily involved in the business,” John told me. “He passed away three months ago and we shut down for a few weeks. We miss him so much.”

With help from Aquil Medeira of US Foods, John created a new and exciting comfort food dinner menu, complete with daily specials.

We stopped for dinner last week and Joyce recognized three friends enjoying dessert. Margie recommended the peach cobbler for dessert, while her friend bragged that she won the last pork chop. Her friends enjoyed the lasagna and fish.

One of the specials on the board was braised short ribs, a meal I haven’t had in ages. For $13 I was treated to a cup of pasta fagioli soup, four huge, tender beef ribs, covered with a tasty, sweet glaze and served with mashed potatoes, gravy, carrots and turnips.

For the same price, Joyce enjoyed a chicken Frangelica with freshly cut french fry slices and fresh spinach and red peppers. She chose a salad to begin her meal. Most dinners are in the $13 range, and that includes a bread basket, salad or soup and dessert.

John prides himself in using fresh products. “I cook the specials based on what looks good when I shop for meat and vegetables.”

The presentation is colorful and equal to a high-end restaurant. In addition to the variety of chicken, beef and seafood dinners, Norwood Grill offers sandwiches, burgers, soups, fish & chips on Fridays and prime rib on Saturdays.

John has added a new brick oven to his spacious kitchen for his variety of freshly made pizzas. His new menu is attracting regular breakfast customers to come back another day and enjoy what is becoming a popular trend in dining: the comfort food meal. John also prides himself in the fact that he still has the same staff as when he opened. While Tanya was providing us with excellent service. Her mother was in the back making cookies, which appeared warm from the oven with Joyce’s tapioca pudding and my peach cobbler.

Norwood Grill is open seven days a week, closing early (2 p.m.) on Sundays.